Rishabh Pant is making significant progress towards a return in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season, and BCCI Secretary Jay Shah has indicated that the T20 World Cup could be on the horizon for the dynamic wicketkeeper-batsman. The National Cricket Academy (NCA) is expected to officially declare him fit soon.

Jay Shah provided an update on Pant’s fitness, stating, “Pant is doing well, and he is batting and is also keeping. In the near future, we (BCCI) will declare him fit.” While it is still early in the process, Shah expressed optimism about Pant’s potential inclusion in the T20 World Cup, emphasizing that his return would be a significant boost for the Indian cricket team.

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“If he can play the T20 World Cup for us, that will be a big thing for us. He is a big asset for us,” Jay Shah added.

Despite the positive outlook, Shah mentioned that Pant’s return to the IPL would be closely monitored, with decisions about his participation and workload management to be determined by NCA head VVS Laxman and the BCCI medical team led by Nitin Patel.

“The door is open for him. Right now, he has begun to keep, so we are waiting. Our team is assessing his fitness,” Jay Shah explained.

Having been sidelined for over a year due to a road accident, the upcoming IPL season marks Pant’s return to competitive cricket. The BCCI will carefully monitor his workload during the cash-rich league, and decisions about his role – whether as a specialist batter or an Impact Player – will be made with the approval of the Indian Cricket Board.

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Pant faced multiple injuries following the accident, including knee surgery, and ankle, and wrist injuries. However, he has made a remarkable recovery and is set to feature in the 2024 edition of the Indian Premier League.